Combination motor well and gasoline tank



Jan. 7, 1964 J. P. DEDINSKY COMBINATION MOTOR WELL AND GASOLINE TANK Filed Dec. 6. 1961 INVENTORJ JOSEPH P oeomsnv United States Patent 3,116,497 CGMBINATION MQTUR WELL AND GASOLENE TANK Joseph P. Dedinsky, 574% E. Lake Road, Erie, Pa. Filed Dec. 6, 1%1, Ser. No. 157,495 9 Claims. (Cl. 96)

This invention relates to boats and, more particularly, to a combination motor well and gasoline tank for outboard boats.

Gasoline tanks for outboard boats are often in the form of a can. The boat owner will first purchase a small can for a gas tank with his boat. Then later he may purchase another can for an auxiliary tank. These cans rest loosely in the boat and form an unsightly appearance at the rear end of the boat and are exposed to damage, spillage of gasoline, and other hazards. Further, the batteries used to start the boat are often strewn at random at the rear of the boat and other gear form an unsightly appearance adjacent the motor.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a single motor well, gasoline tank, battery box, and storage area which may be lined with a light material such as balsam wood or foam plastic. The entire unit is compact and capable of conserving space while, at the same time, it provides a flotation unit for use as a life preserver or to save the motor should the boat sink.

The motor well is so designed that it keeps backwash from entering the boat and also provides a sump for draining water or spilled gasoline out of the well and out of the boat. By mounting the gasoline tank under the well, it eliminates a need for hose connection and it gives positive connection between the filling opening of the tank and the tank. The arrangement of the tank enables it to hold more fuel in less space than when separate can type tanks are used. Also, shorter connections are used from the boat to the motor, thereby introducing another factor in convenience and safety.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a combination motor well and gasoline tank which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and efficient to use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved combination motor well, gasoline tank, and storage space for use in an outboard boat.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood vthat changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a motor well and gasoline tank according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1 showing a part of the boat supporting the device; and

FIG. 3 is a front view of the motor well and gasoline tank.

Now with more particularly reference to the drawing, a combination fuel tank, motor well, and storage compartment is shown wherein a gasoline tank 11 is located at the right hand side and the storage compartment having a door 18 is located at the left hand bottom part of the arrangement. A backwash wall 12 is disposed above the gasoline tank 11 and the door 18 and has a rearwardly sloping bottom 24 supported intermediate the top and bottom of side panels 25 and a front 26. The floor 24 can be made as the top of the gasoline tank.

3,116,497 Patented Jan. 7, 1964 ice The motor well is, therefore, made up of the bottom 24, the side panels 25, the front 26, and a rear wall 27. The wall 27 directs water and gasoline which may accumulate in the well through a drain 15 which extends through a back panel 28 of the boat to drain from the boat any water or gas which may spill.

The door 18 has a handle 20 thereon for opening and closing it. The door is s-lidable up and down between cleats 32 to provide access to the space inside the storage compartment and battery container. In its lowered posi tion, it rests on the floor.

A well door '29 is connected to the front 26 by a piano hinge 17 and this door may be swung forward to provide convenient axis to the motor well. The well may be provided with a suitable floor 30 extending from one side to the other of the device and the storage compartment may be provided with a suitable rear wall 31.

A gasoline tank filler neck 13, a gauge 1-6, and a motor intake gasoline connection 14- extend up through the bottom of the motor well to provide easy access.

The device according to the invention has brackets 32A fixed to the side edges thereof. Front adjustable supports 19 have :a threaded staff 34 which engages the brackets 32A and provides adjustment for the front end of the device to accommodate it to the irregular flow of the boat.

L-shaped brackets 36 are attached to the rear corners of the device and they may be attached by bolts 37. The bolts 37 extend through holes in the back of the boat and into support brackets and ground connections 23.

The rear part of the well may rest on a suitable support 32 on the rear part of the boat to hold it steady. A suitable vent 21 may extend out through the side of the device.

The device according to the invention may be made of sheet metal, fiberglass, plastic, or other suitable material and it may be made of a size and general configura- =tion suitable to fit into the rear end of the ordinary outboard boat.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In combination, a motor well and gasoline tank comprising a generally vertically extending front wall, two spaced side walls attached to said front wall and extending generally perpendicular thereto, a motor well bottom disposed between the top and bottom of said front wall and said side walls, a floor, said floor attached to said front wall and to said side walls adjacent the bottom thereof, a gasoline tank adjacent one said side wall on said floor occupying approximately one-half the space between said floor and said well bottom, a door slidably attached to said front wall and providing access to said space between said bottom and said floor adjacent said tank, and a tank filler member extending upward through said bottom.

2. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein a door is swingably attached to said front wall above said floor and forming an upper part of said front wall to provide access to said well.

3. The combination recited in claim 2 wherein said door is adapted to slide downward into engagement with the floor of a boat 4. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said bottom slopes downwardly from said front wall.

5. In combination, a motor well and gasoline tank comprising a generally vertically extending front wall, two spaced side walls attached to said front wall and extending generally perpendicular thereto, a motor well bottom disposed between the top and bottom of said front wall and said side walls, a floor, said floor attached to said front Wall and to said side walls adjacent the bottom thereof, a gasoline tank adjacent one said side wall on said floor occupying approximately one-half the space between said wall and providing access to said space between said bottom and said fioor adjacent said tank.

6.A combination gasoline tank and motor well comprising a front wall, a bottom wall attached to said front wall and adapted to extend rearwardly into engagement with the rear wall of a boat, a gasoline tank under said bottom wall and at one side thereof, a sliding door on the side of said front wall remote from said gasoline tank providing access to the space under said bottom Wall adjacent said tank, said tank having a filler neck extending through said bottom wall, means to secure said tank and well to said boat, and drain means above said bottom wall adapted to communicate with the outside of said boat.

7. A combination gasoline tank and motor well comprising a front wall, a bottom attached to said front wall and adapted to extend rearwardly into engagement with the rear wall of a boat, a gasoline tank under said bottom and at one side thereof, a door on the side of said front wall remote from said gasoline tank providing access to the space under said bottom adjacent said tank, said tank having a filler neck, and means to secure said combination to said boat.

8. A combination gasoline tank and motor well comprising a front wall, a bottom Wall attached to said front wall and adapted to extend rearwardly into engagement with the rear wall of a boat, a gasoline tank under said bottom wall and at one side thereof, a door on the side of said front wall remote from said gasoline tank providing access to the space under said bottom wall adjacent said tank, said tank having a filler neck, means to secure said combination to said boat, and drain means above said bottom wall adapted to communicate with the outside of said boat.

9. A combination gasoline tank and motor well comprising a front wall, a bottom wall attached to said front wall and adapted to extend rearwardly into engagement with the rear wall of a boat, a gasoline tank under said bottom wall and at one side thereof, a door on the side of said front wall remote from said gasoline tank providing access to the space under said bottom wall adjacent said tank, said tank having a filler neck extending through said bottom wall, means to secure said combination to said boat, and drain means above said bottom wall adapted to communicate with the outside of said boat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,724,132 Shoup NOV. 22, 1955 2,764,119 Sigler Sept. 25, 1956 2,999,254 Nolde Sept. 12, 196

FOREIGN PATENTS 7,173 Great Britain Mar. 22, 1911 

1. IN COMBINATION, A MOTOR WELL AND GASOLINE TANK COMPRISING A GENERALLY VERTICALLY EXTENDING FRONT WALL, TWO SPACED SIDE WALLS ATTACHED TO SAID FRONT WALL AND EXTENDING GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR THERETO, A MOTOR WELL BOTTOM DISPOSED BETWEEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF SAID FRONT WALL AND SAID SIDE WALLS, A FLOOR, SAID FLOOR ATTACHED TO SAID FRONT WALL AND TO SAID SIDE WALLS ADJACENT THE BOTTOM THEREOF, A GASOLINE TANK ADJACENT ONE SAID SIDE WALL ON SAID FLOOR OCCUPYING APPROXIMATELY ONE-HALF THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID FLOOR AND SAID WELL BOTTOM, A DOOR SLIDABLY ATTACHED TO SAID FRONT WALL AND PROVIDING ACCESS TO SAID SPACE BETWEEN SAID BOTTOM AND SAID FLOOR ADJACENT SAID TANK, AND A TANK FILLER MEMBER EXTENDING UPWARD THROUGH SAID BOTTOM. 